Parental reports of coparenting and observed coparenting behavior during the toddler period.

Fifty-two married partners played with their 30-mo-olds in both dyadic (parent–child) and whole family contexts and reported on their own coparenting activities (family integrity-promoting behavior, conflict, disparagement, and reprimand). Coparenting behavior observed in the whole family context was evaluated for antagonism, warmth and cooperation, child–adult centeredness, balance of positive involvement, and management of toddler behavior. Parallel balance and management scores were also formed using dyadic session data. Men's reported family integrity-promoting activities and women's reported conflict and reprimand activities were reliable correlates of family group process in both bivariate and discriminant analyses, with links enduring even after controlling for marital quality. Whole family- and dyad-based estimates of coparenting were altogether unrelated, and reported coparenting was tied only to behavior in family context, not to family measures created from dyad-based data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Automated Karl Fischer titration for liquid samples – Water determination in edible oils

In the field of food analysis, rapid measurements and results are generally of high importance. The Karl Fischer titration (KFT), a chemical method for determining water content, and its automated performance enhance rapidity by giving the opportunity to deal with more samples in less time; automated sequences can include different determination methods and sample treatments. Moreover, automation can improve reproducibility and precision.     

Relevance of peat-draining rivers for the riverine input of dissolved iron into the ocean

Peat bogs have the ability to produce strong chelate ligands (humic and fulvic acids) which enhance the weathering rates of iron-silicate minerals and greatly increase the solubility of the essential trace metal iron in river water. Fluvial networks link peat bogs with the ocean, and thus terrestrial-derived fulvic-iron complexes fuel the ocean's biological productivity and biological carbon pump, but understanding this role is constrained by inconsistent observations regarding the behaviour of riverine iron in the estuarine mixing zone, where precipitation reactions remove iron from the water column. We applied a characterization of the colloidal iron carriers in peatland-draining rivers in North Scotland, using field-flow fractionation (FFF), in combination with end-member mixing experiments of river water sampled near the river mouth and coastal seawater using a ⁵⁹Fe radiotracer method. According to our results, the investigated river contributed “truly dissolved” Fe concentrations of about 3300 nmol L^− 1 to the ocean which is nearly two orders of magnitude higher than the dissolved iron contribution of the “average world” river (∼ 40 nmol L^− 1). Thus we conclude that peatland-draining rivers are important sources of dissolved iron to the ocean margins. We propose highly electrostatic and sterical stabilized iron-organic matter complexes in the size range of < 2 kDa to be responsible for iron transport across the estuarine mixing zone.     

Mathematics of marital conflict: Qualitative dynamic mathematical modeling of marital interaction.

This article presents a new nonstatistical mathematical approach to modeling marital interaction by means of nonlinear difference equations. The application made of this modeling process in this article is to generate theory in order to understand J. M. Gottman and R. W. Levenson's (1992) report of the ability of one variable derived from a balance view of marital interaction to predict marital dissolution in a prospective study. Parameters are introduced that reflect uninfluenced husband and wife set points, emotional inertia, and influence function. These parameters are subjected to various examinations of validity with other data that reflect patterns of marital interaction and the cascade toward marital dissolution. Results suggest the hypothesis that unstable marriages are characterized at Time 1 by a mismatch in husband and wife influence functions. The modeling method makes it possible to fit a couple's equations under one set of conditions, then to simulate the couple's interaction under different conditions, and then to conduct experiments to test the validity of these simulations. The method provides a new approach toward the building of theory in family psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Age-related decrease of plasma testosterone in SAMP8 mice: replacement improves age-related impairment of learning and memory

Corticosterone increases with aging but pregnenolone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and testosterone decrease. The marked decrease in hormones that occurs with aging may contribute to the age-related deficit in learning and memory. Administration of these hormones after training was found to improve long-term memory processing in normal young mice. SAMP8 (P8) mice show an age-related loss of learning and memory for a variety of tasks whereas age-matched control mice of the closely related SAMR1 (R1) strain do not. In this study, we found an age-related decrease in serum testosterone levels of 71% between P8 mice 4 and 12 months of age, but only a 26% decrease between R1 mice of the same ages. The difference between the P8 mice was significant (p < 0.01) and the difference between the R1 mice was not. The decrease in testosterone in 12-month-old P8 mice was not accompanied by gross morphological change in the testes. A SC testosterone implant, sufficient to increase plasma testosterone levels to 414 +/- 25 ng/dl, alleviated impaired learning and memory of a foot shock avoidance task in P8 mice. Castration of 4-month-old P8 mice did not produce a deterioration in learning and memory, indicating that low levels of testosterone per se are not responsible for the impairment seen in 12-month-old P8 mice. This suggests that impaired cognitive functioning of the older P8 mice was due to an interaction of aging and reduced testosterone levels.     

Performance of curaua fibers in pullout tests

Natural lignocellulosic fibers are successfully replacing synthetic fibers as the reinforcement phase of composite materials in many engineering applications, including automobile parts. In addition to well-known conventional lignocellulosic fibers, others with promising properties, like that obtained from the leaves of the curaua plant (Ananas erectifolius) found in the Amazon region of Brazil, are now being considered. The present work investigated microstructural aspects associated with the performance of curaua fibers in pullout tests carried out to characterize the fibers interfacial strength with a polyester matrix. The results have shown that the naturally bonded filaments that constitute a curaua fiber present interspatial voids between them. These voids play an important role in providing adherence of the fiber surface to a polyester matrix, resulting in an effective reinforcement for a curaua-strengthened composite.     

Genetic Biomarkers of Antipsychotic-Induced Prolongation of the QT Interval in Patients with Schizophrenia

Antipsychotics (AP) induced prolongation of the QT interval in patients with schizophrenia (Sch) is an actual interdisciplinary problem as it increases the risk of sudden death syndrome. Long QT syndrome (LQTS) as a cardiac adverse drug reaction is a multifactorial symptomatic disorder, the development of which is influenced by modifying factors (APs’ dose, duration of APs therapy, APs polytherapy, and monotherapy, etc.) and non-modifying factors (genetic predisposition, gender, age, etc.). The genetic predisposition to AP-induced LQTS may be due to several causes, including causal mutations in the genes responsible for monoheme forms of LQTS, single nucleotide variants (SNVs) of the candidate genes encoding voltage-dependent ion channels expressed both in the brain and in the heart, and SNVs of candidate genes encoding key enzymes of APs metabolism. This narrative review summarizes the results of genetic studies on AP-induced LQTS and proposes a new personalized approach to assessing the risk of its development (low, moderate, high). We recommend implementation in protocols of primary diagnosis of AP-induced LQTS and medication dispensary additional observations of the risk category of patients receiving APs, deoxyribonucleic acid profiling, regular electrocardiogram monitoring, and regular therapeutic drug monitoring of the blood APs levels.     

Metabolic Adaptation as Potential Target in Papillary Renal Cell Carcinomas Based on Their In Situ Metabolic Characteristics

Metabolic characteristics of kidney cancers have mainly been obtained from the most frequent clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) studies. Moreover, the bioenergetic perturbances that affect metabolic adaptation possibilities of papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) have not yet been detailed. Therefore, our study aimed to analyze the in situ metabolic features of PRCC vs. CCRCC tissues and compared the metabolic characteristics of PRCC, CCRCC, and normal tubular epithelial cell lines. The protein and mRNA expressions of the molecular elements in mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and additional metabolic pathways were analyzed in human PRCC cases compared to CCRCC. The metabolic protein expression pattern, metabolite content, mTOR, and metabolic inhibitor sensitivity of renal carcinoma cell lines were also studied and compared with tubular epithelial cells, as “normal” control. We observed higher protein expressions of the “alternative bioenergetic pathway” elements, in correlation with the possible higher glutamine and acetate consumption in PRCC cells instead of higher glycolytic and mTOR activity in CCRCCs. Increased expression of certain metabolic pathway markers correlates with the detected differences in metabolite ratios, as well. The lower lactate/pyruvate, lactate/malate, and higher pyruvate/citrate intracellular metabolite ratios in PRCC compared to CCRCC cell lines suggest that ACHN (PRCC) have lower Warburg glycolytic capacity, less pronounced pyruvate to lactate producing activity and shifted OXPHOS phenotype. However, both studied renal carcinoma cell lines showed higher mTOR activity than tubular epithelial cells cultured in vitro, the metabolite ratio, the enzyme expression profiles, and the higher mitochondrial content also suggest increased importance of mitochondrial functions, including mitochondrial OXPHOS in PRCCs. Additionally, PRCC cells showed significant mTOR inhibitor sensitivity and the used metabolic inhibitors increased the effect of rapamycin in combined treatments. Our study revealed in situ metabolic differences in mTOR and metabolic protein expression patterns of human PRCC and CCRCC tissues as well as in cell lines. These underline the importance in the development of specific new treatment strategies, new mTOR inhibitors, and other anti-metabolic drug combinations in PRCC therapy.     

Treatment of paper and pulp wastewater and removal of odorous compounds by a Fenton‐like process at the pilot scale

A Fenton‐like process, involving oxidation and coagulation, was evaluated for the removal of odorous compounds and treatment of a pulp and paper wastewater. The main parameters that govern the complex reactive system [pH and Fe(III) and hydrogen peroxide concentrations] were studied. Concentrations of Fe(III) between 100 and 1000 mg L^?1 and of H₂O₂ between 0 and 2000 mg L^?1 were chosen. The main mechanism for color removal was coagulation. The maximum COD, color and aromatic compound removals were 75, 98 and 95%, respectively, under optimal operating conditions ([Fe(III)] = 400 mg L^?1; [H₂O₂] = 500–1000 mg L^?1; pH = 2.5; followed by coagulation at pH 5.0). The biodegradability of the wastewater treated increased from 0.4 to 0.7 under optimal conditions and no residual hydrogen peroxide was found after treatment. However, partially or non‐oxidized compounds present in the treated wastewater presented higher acute toxicity to Artemia salina than the untreated wastewater. Based on the optimum conditions, pilot‐scale experiments were conducted and revealed a high efficiency in relation to the mineralization of organic compounds. Terpenes [(1S)‐α‐pinene, β‐pinene, (1R)‐α‐pinene and limonene] were identified in the wastewater and were completely eliminated by the Fenton‐like treatment. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry